Musical instrument



E. 04 SMULLIN MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed July 25, 1955 Patented May 5, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to musical instruments and more particularly to a relatively small instrument which is adapted to be held by one hand and played with the other.

An object of this invention is to provide a relatively small instrument constructed after the manner of a ukelele, which includes means whereby the instrument may be detachably secured to a digit of a hand, such as the thumb or other finger of a hand.

The above and various other objects and advantages of this invention will in part be described in, and in part be understood from the following detail description of the present preferred embodiment, the same being illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein:-

Figure 1 is a top plan view of an instrument constructed according to an embodiment of this invention showing the instrument in applied position on a hand which is shown in dotted lines.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan View of the instrument with the clamper holder removed therefrom.

Figure 3 is a detail side elevation partly in longitudinal section of the device.

Referring to the drawing wherein like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral I U designates generally the neck of an instrument constructed according to an embodiment of this invention and the numeral designates generally the body or sound producing means secured to the inner end of the neck In, as by securing means I3 in the form of a screw or the like. The neck l has an elongated finger board l2 on which transversely disposed bars M are secured in longitudinally spaced apart relation on the operative or upper side of the finger board I 2. These bars constitute frets so as to permit the pressing down of the strings to obtain different tones desired.

The outer end of the finger board structure It] has a peg or key holding block |5 integral therewith and a plurality of pegs or keys l6 are secured in the block or peg holding member 5. These pegs l6 are adapted to have one end of strings I! wound thereabout with the other ends of the strings I! provided with knots I8. These strings are threaded through a bar l9 and extend over a bridge piece 28 mounted on the top 2| of the body or sound member The strings ll also engage over a transversely disposed nut 22 at the upper end of the finger board l2. The body I comprises a relatively fiat top 2| and a flange 23 which, in the present instance, is fiuted or corrugated although, of course,

this flange, if desired, may be made relatively smooth. In the present instance, this body H is constructed from a bottle cap and the top 2| thereof is preferably provided with advertising or other suitable indicia.

In order to provide a means for bracing the rear end of the body so as to hold the top 2| in substantial alinement with the surface of the finger board I2, I have provided a bracing bar 24 which has its upper end secured as by a screw or fastening device 25 to an enlargement 26 on the under side of the inner end of the finger board |2. This bracing bar 24 has a substantially U- shaped inner or lower end 21 in which the flange 23 of the body engages and the outer leg of the U-shaped member 24 is extended slightly above the top 2| and is provided with holes to receive the strings H.

In order to provide means to detachably secure the instrument on a finger or thumb of one hand, I have provided a substantially U-shaped clamp 28 of resilient construction which is secured at the bight thereof by means of the attaching member 25, to the outer side of the bracing member 24 at the point where the bracing member 24 is secured to the enlargement 26 of the finger board l2. This holder or clamp 28 has eyes 29 on the free ends thereof so that the holder may readily be slipped over a finger or thumb without injury thereto. The holder 28 is also so secured to the neck II] as to permit adjustment of the instrument to the most convenient position for playing by the fingers of the same hand on which the instrument is mounted.

As shown in Figure 1, this instrument has the holder 28 thereof mounted on the thumb of the left hand and the fingers of this hand are adapted to engage the strings in the usual manner of playing a fretted instrument.

In the use of the instrument hereinbefore described, the clamp or holder 28 is adapted to engage the thumb of one hand and the other hand is adapted to have a pick 30 with which to strike the strings Preferably, the finger board and key block l5 are pointed in the direction of the end of the thumb and the fingers of this hand are adapted to press the strings I! between the frets M with the pick 30 engaging the strings I"! at a point adjacent the bridge piece 20. This bridge piece 20, in the present instance, is constructed of metal of substantially U-shaped construction with the strings I! engaging over the bight of the bridge piece. The

strings H can be tuned to the desired pitch by turning of the keys or pegs l6.

This instrument is so constructed that a single finger can press all of the strings I! or, if desired, may press a predetermined number thereof to obtain the desired chord.

I claim:-

1. An instrument as set forth, comprising. a finger board, a key block carried by one end of the finger board, frets on one side of the finger board, a hollow body secured to the other end of the finger board and provided with an open side opposite from the upper side of the finger board, means for securing the body to the inner end of the finger board, a bracing bar secured at one end to the underside of the finger board and extending diametrically across the body, a U-shaped member integral with the inner end of the bracing member and engaging the body at a point alining with the finger board, said U- shaped member having a plurality of string receiving openings, a plurality of strings threaded through said openings and engaging the pegs in the peg block and a bridge piece disposed beneath the strings.

2. An instrument as set forth, comprising a neck, a plurality of pegs at one end of the neck, a hollow body at the other end of the neck, means for securing the body to the neck, a bracing member extending diametrically across said hollow body, means for securing one end of the bracing member to the underside of the inner end of the neck, a U-shaped member integral with said bracing member and engaging said body, one side of said U-shaped member having a plurality of string receiving openings therethrough, strings threaded through said openings and engaging the pegs in the neck, and a resilient clamp carried by the neck adjacent the inner end thereof at the side opposite from the strings.

3. An instrument comprising an elongated neck, a plurality of spaced apart frets on one side of the neck whereby to provide a finger board, a nut extending transversely across the neck at the upper end thereof, a peg block integral with the neck at the upper end thereof, pegs in said peg block, a hollow body at the inner end of the neck, means for securing the body to the inner end of the neck, said hollow body comprising a substantially fiat top and a marginal flange, a bracing bar extending diametrically across the hollow body, means for securing one end of the bracing bar to the inner end of the neck, a U-shaped member integral with the other end of the bracing member for engaging said flange, said U-shaped member having a plurality of string receiving openings in one leg thereof, strings threaded through said openings and engaging over said nut, a U-shaped bridge piece interposed between the top of the body and said strings, and a resilient clamp carried by the underside of the neck to detachably mount the device on a supporting means.

EDMOND O. SMULLIN. 

